What if
by Paradox Siren
Summary: What if Lenne and Shuyin were given the chance to live again? What would be the consequences? Starts at the end of FFX-2, and contains spoilers. SIXTH Chapter now up! Rated for L, SC, etc. LenneShuyin, and TidusYuna pairings.
1. Questions and Answers

Disclaimer: Please don't read this if you haven't beaten the game, and don't like spoilers, because this starts at the end of FFX-2. Anyway, I don't own anything to do with Final Fantasy X or X-2, nor do I have any say in anything Square-Enix. I just own this story. Lol I hope you enjoy it! This is a short sort of Teaser Chapter to see if anyone is interested in seeing what happens. looking forward to reviews!!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ *What If.* Chapter One: Questions and Answers Author: Isonen ~~~~~~~~~~ br br br br br br br ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Yuna sighed as she continued jogging up the small path that would lead to their final battle of this mission: The head of Vegnagun.  
  
"You think we can do this?" Yuna asked no one in particular as they neared the battle scene.  
  
"We've made it this far alright, haven't we?" answered Paine, slightly smiling.  
  
"Don't tell me you're chickening out now, Yunie!" Rikku said, half-joking, have squeaking.  
  
Yuna's eyes widened as they came face-to-face with Vegnagun.  
  
"Alright guys, we'll take it from here," Rikku said in mock confidence, and Nooj, Gippal, and Le Blanc backed off without much of a fight.  
  
The Gullwings nodded at each other in agreement, and the battle began. Yuna and Paine were in their Dark Knight dress spheres and Rikku was an Alchemist. "Darkness!!" the two Knights performed in unison each time, slowly but surely bringing down the head. Rikku diligently made Mega potions from the stockpile and kept everyone at full health.  
  
The battle came to a close much sooner than the three had suspected, but they were not really prepared for what was to happen next.  
  
*Damn girls, who do they think they are!!? And I was *SO* close!* he thought to himself as he leapt down from his seat at the mystical organ.  
  
He began his determined pacing toward Yuna, and stopped cold. "Lenne?" he asked quietly, in shock.  
  
"Shuyin. there is something I have to tell you. words. left unspoken for 1000 years." Yuna began, suddenly unsure of what Lenne would have said. ".I love you. You don't have to be alone anymore."  
  
*I must be dreaming.* Shuyin thought, as he approached what he saw to be Lenne, but was truly Yuna. "Now we can fade. together," he said, a faint smile curling on his lips.  
  
But all too suddenly the smile faded, as the dream image of Lenne faded before his eyes. "You!!..." he roared in anger, ".Are *NOT* Lenne!!" And at that, his sword was drawn, and battle was once gain upon the Gullwings.  
  
Yuna's eyes widened. Her plan had backfired miserably! She closed her eyes tightly and opened them, regaining her fighter's stance. *No matter how much he looks like *him*...* she told herself. *He isn't.* And at that, Yuna struck the first blow, saddening with every amount of damage they amassed.  
  
She began to hum the tune to *1000 Words* and felt a different emotion surface. and she recognized it immediately.  
  
After a battle that seemed to last forever, but was really rather short, Shuyin was kneeling in pain at the damage he had sustained. "Shuyin." Yuna started, but was interrupted, "Don't try to tell me you understand how I feel," he said, angry, but too weak to do anything more about it.  
  
It was then that it happened, something no one except for Yuna could have known was about to happen: the image of Lenne stepped out of Yuna's body and walked slowly toward Shuyin.  
  
"Lenne?" Shuyin asked once more, afraid it was just another dream. "No! You can't be!?..." he said weakly, and lifted his arm as though he would strike her, but she gently stopped him and held his hand in both of hers.  
  
"Yes, it's me," she said, taking his hand and bringing it to her face. Shuyin buried his head in his love's stomach. Pyreflies began to appear, and Shuyin muttered in frustration, "1000 years and this moment is all we get?"  
  
"This moment is enough," Lenne answered lovingly, as she held his head.  
  
She turned slowly back to Yuna. "Thank you." Yuna could only smile and nod, and watch in silent envy and sadness as the two lovers disappeared together, finally in each other's arms after 1000 years.  
  
Yuna walked away from the scene so lost in her own thoughts that she never heard all the words of encouragement and thanks that her friends were offering her.  
  
She just kept walking, a little ways behind Paine and Rikku, until she heard the once sound that could make her heart stop beating: a whistle somewhere in the distance.  
  
She noticed a gathering of Pyreflies and found herself looking at her favorite member of the fayth. "You heard it, didn't you?" he asked. Yuna could only nod.  
  
"Would you like to see him again?"  
  
"Yes! Very much!!" she answered enthusiastically.  
  
"We'll do what we can, but no promises," the fayth replied and turned to leave.  
  
"Wait!" Yuna said quickly.  
  
"Yes?" the fayth asked a little surprised.  
  
"There is one more thing I would like to ask of you," she said.  
  
"And what is that?" the fayth asked in return.  
  
"Can you bring back Lenne and Shuyin?"  
  
The fayth was silent for a moment, and Yuna was suddenly worried. *Why did I just ask that??* she thought.  
  
"What exactly do you mean?" the fayth asked.  
  
Yuna replied, "Can you make them alive again? Or bring them back? Like Auron, Seymour, and the other maesters. They were dead, and yet they lived."  
  
"Why would you want us to do this?" The fayth asked very uncertainly.  
  
"I want them to have a chance to live together and be happy together," Yuna replied. "I can't even imagine what it would be like to be separated from my true love for 1000 years. two years has been hell enough," she finished.  
  
She sighed, and her glance was cast downward. "Is it even possible?" she asked.  
  
"It may be," replied the fayth. "Once again, I'll see what I can do," he said, and disappeared.  
  
Yuna sighed, suddenly feeling happy and relieved, as if a gigantic weight had been lifted from her. She ran after her two friends who had almost disappeared into the distance, "Hey! Wait for me!!" she yelled after them.  
  
"What took you so long?" Paine asked when Yuna finally reached them. "Oh. I just had to take care of something," she said vaguely, yet still smiling. Rikku and Paine looked at each other and smiled mischievously. "Oh really?" they said in unison, and Yuna couldn't help but worry a little bit.  
  
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When the Gullwings made it back to their airship, they found Gippal, Nooj, and Baralai awaiting them. "Hey, where're you going so fast?" Gippal asked. "You runnin' from the law again, girls?" he added with the usual cocky grin. Yuna smiled back, "No. I just think it's time I went home." 


	2. A Second Chance

Disclaimer: same as before. I still don't own anything aside from this story. Lol =)  
  
Chapter Two: A Second Chance  
  
She walked slowly up the hill, becoming more and more unsure with each light step. The sight that met her eyes was just as amazing as it had always been, just now in an entirely different way. The young woman sat down at the very top of the hill and examined everything with her big eyes.  
  
"Everything is so different now," she said to herself. "I don't know what to do. I don't know where my home is," she began to despair. "This cannot be Zanarkand! It cannot be..." her sad eyes began to fill with cool tears as she lowered her head to her hands, beginning to sob. "Now I am truly alone."  
  
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The water felt colder and darker than he remembered, but it did seem like forever since he'd been in the water. *Wait a minute! What am I doing here?* He swam quickly toward the light, and when he broke the surface of the water, he did not know where he was. He swam toward the shore once he had located it, and stood when he reached the shallow waters.  
  
He ran a hand through his hair and tousled it a bit as he walked into the ruins laid before him. "This is insane!" he shouted, his voice echoing off of all that was left of the once marvelous city. "This cannot be. not really." He walked through the ruins with mounting uncertainty, touching stones and fallen walls, trying to place them in his mind, praying for evidence that he was not where he knew he was.  
  
That's when he saw it, and if not for the mounting anger that he felt, he might have cried. Before him laid the ruins of the greatest blitzball stadium a blitzer could ever dream to play in. He walked through it slowly, still in utter disbelief, and sat down where he knew a row of expensive seats had one been. He could almost hear the screams of the crowds and the insanely loud music playing. Her could almost hear *her* voice. The energy was still alive in this place.  
  
Even after a thousand years.  
  
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She rose slowly from her perch on top of the hill and wiped her eyes dry from the remnants of tears that had only moments before been flowing from her heavy brown eyes. She walked down the hill even slower than before, watching each step as she made it.  
  
Then it happened. Her heart skipped a beat; something it only did when. "No. It couldn't be." She looked around the ruins of the city and saw a small could of dust coming from near the center of her plane of sight. The girl had a sudden urge to see what was causing the commotion, but felt very unsure with all the tourists gaping around, and she was already receiving questioning stares because of her now red and swollen eyes.  
  
"What have I got to lose?" she said aloud and began to make her way toward the center of the city, and toward that cloud of dust that was making her heart race. "If I'm here, there's a slight chance her could be, too. And if it's only a fiend, I'll take out my frustration on *it*," she said, faintly smiling. She began to run where she felt her heart was leading her.  
  
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"God-Damned-son-of-a-bitch-freaking." he stormed around the ancient stadium kicking and throwing anything that was loose, obscenities flowing from his angry soul. "How?!..." It was as though he had no memory of where he had been for so long. He knew how long he had been gone. he just didn't know where he had been! He wished he could remember, but his mind only felt more in the dark with each piece of wall he threw.  
  
Then he made the mistake of kicking a piece of wall that was anything but loose, and collapsed to the ground holding his temporarily cripples foot. "Yaaaaaaaaaaaah!" he screamed, at the peak of his frustration. "Why the hell am I here?!" he yelled to no one. "Why couldn't you let me be at peace?! Don't I deserve at least that much?" He collapsed, falling back and lying out on the ground. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift, oblivious to all the voices of the tourists who had witnessed his emotional episode.  
  
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She walked slowly into the left over pieces of the dilapidated, almost non- existent stadium, afraid of what she might find there, but still entirely unprepared for what she *did* find. It took every last shred of her being to keep from just flying to him and collapsing on top of him. But, he seemed like he was drifting in thought, and bringing him back suddenly could startle him and possibly do some harm, and right now that was the last thing she needed. She walked to him slowly, suddenly feeling separated from the rest of the world around her. She kneeled slowly beside him, and put her hand on his chest.  
  
"Shuyin. Shuyin." she called softly.  
  
Shuyin heard a voice: *her* voice. It came floating to him through the thick velvety black that was surrounding him. His mind began to swim frantically, trying to get back to her. He just had to follow her voice. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and found himself gazing into the most beautiful brown eyes he could ever imagine.  
  
"Lenne!" was all he could say. He sat up quickly and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his lap. And he just held her. Time seemed to stand still, until the world started spinning again: fueled by the flashing light-bulbs of tourists' cameras.  
  
Lenne laughed.  
  
Shuyin scowled.  
  
"Never a moments' peace," he muttered.  
  
Lenne put a finger to his lips. "Shh."  
  
"Why are we here??" he muttered.  
  
"We've been given another chance."  
  
"Another chance at what?"  
  
"Life." 


	3. Some Things Never Change

iDisclaimer: yet again, same as before. I hope you all don't mind a break form Lenne and Shuyin just now, I have to bring Yuna back in. =) /i  
  
Chapter Three: Some Things Never Change.  
  
Yuna woke up to the welcoming feeling of the warm Besaid sun shining on her face that was streaming through the slit in the tent door. She shifted back on the bed to try to go back to sleep and found herself pressed up against another body. Yuna felt as though she had just jumped out of her skin, and was about to jump out of bed, when she remembered who was sharing her bed.  
  
She closed her eyes and tried to tell her heart beat to calm down, and tried to slow her breathing. Soon, she felt an arm fall over her and pull her closer. Her bed-mate whispered in her ear, a hint of laughter in his voice, "Forgot I was here, eh?" Yuna laughed lightly and turned herself under his arm to face him. She looked into his bright eyes and smiled. She didn't know how to reply, and he knew this.  
  
He brought his face closer to hers until their noses touched. "I won't leave you again," he said, his deep blue eyes so full of emotion that they seemed even darker than usual. Yuna smiled and kissed him gently on the lips. "I'd never let you," she told him, and she meant every word.  
  
The two quickly averted their eyes to the entrance of the tent when they heard a soft chuckle. "As much as I hate to ruin this sickening," Wakka received a swift elbow in the stomach from Lulu, who was standing with him, "I mean lovely, and romantic moment, you've got reporters on your tail again, Yuna." Yuna smiled wider.  
  
"Did you tell Paine and Rikku?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, big mistake, though," Wakka said laughing. "Rikku's givin' 'em hell, ya know?"  
  
Now everyone laughed, knowing exactly what he meant.  
  
Yuna replied, "Alright, I'll be up soon."  
  
Now it was Wakka's turn to laugh. "Sure you will," he said, winking at Tidus, who answered, "Oh, get outta here already, Wakka!"  
  
Once Wakka finally left, Tidus pulled Yuna's shoulder down gently until she was lying on her back again. He crossed his arm over her and propped himself up above her. Yuna smiled as Tidus lowered himself on top of her and kissed her gently. He looked her in the eyes once more, and at length said, "We really should be getting up. If those reporters find us, there'll be hell to pay," he said, laughing.  
  
Yuna loved the feeling of him laughing, and wrapped her arms around him, and moved so that he figured out she wanted to be on top. He complied, and she answered, "Alright," to his comment.  
  
"But will you do me a favor?" she asked, a coy smile on her lips as she played with his hair. "Sure," he answered, a cocky questioning in his eyes.  
  
"Stop wearing a shirt," she said, giggling and leaping out of bed before Tidus could catch her again.  
  
"Only if you do," he replied smiling broadly. "Trust me, no one would mind," he laughed.  
  
Yuna laughed with him as she pulled a white halter top on that she'd picked up off the chair. "Sorry, no dice," she said, blowing a Lady Luck kiss his way. "Hurry up and get out of bed," she said, walking out of the tent with a smile.  
  
Tidus just closed his eyes and laid back on the bed. *She really has changed,* he thought as his mind drifted.  
  
After much effort and will power, he pulled himself out of bed and dressed quickly: shorts and a yellow tank top. He pulled back the curtain-door and blinked blindly at over-powering sun that shone loudly in his face.  
  
He closed his eyes and listened quietly for a moment, and when he had located Rikku's voice amongst the rabble he made his way to the center of the village where the reporters and the Gullwings were currently at odds.  
  
He laughed quietly to himself and kept in the shadows in the shade of a tent situated behind the reporters. He leaned against a stack of crates and crossed his arms.  
  
Soon, he became bored with just standing there, and proceeded to make all sorts of amusing faces at Yuna. The funny part was, she was oblivious; but Rikku was not. At first she kept glaring at him, and mouthing 'Stop it', but soon started smiling, then laughing. In no time she was nearly falling off her chair in a happy fit of laughter, much to the confusion of the reporters and the other Gullwings. Tidus finally cracked and started laughing, and that's when Yuna finally noticed him and put two and two together.  
  
Paine actually smiled throughout the entire conference of interviews, thanks partially given to Tidus for amusement. Yuna remained calm, and feigned energy and happiness, but Tidus could tell she was getting tired of answering the same questions over and over again.  
  
She was thrilled that Spira was safe from danger once more, but free again at the expense of her friends' and her own expense. She hardly had a moment's peace to herself; but, she convinced herself that Spira had some right to know who she was; but some of her friends were anything *but* convinced, and spent a lot more time chasing away reporters than they spent sleeping.  
  
At the end of the conference Yuna took a seat under the shade of the nearest tent, and sighed deeply. "You don't have to keep doing this, Yuna," Paine told her in her usual quiet voice. "They've intruded on your life enough." "Yeah, Yunie!" Rikku said, sitting down and giving her beloved cousin a hug. "I could tell them where to go from now on," she said smiling, and putting a fist into the palm of her other hand.  
  
Yuna sighed again and acted as though she was about to say something, but she was distracted by the illuminated form of Tidus who was walking toward her, and her expression instantly brightened. She could tell he was smiling, even though she could hardly see his face; it was in the way that he walked.  
  
He kneeled down in front of her and put his hands gently behind her head and kissed her with equal calm. "Keep smiling. That's the Yuna I know."  
  
Yuna fell forward and buried her head in Tidus' chest, beginning to cry. Rikku and Paine looked at each other and took this as their cue to leave.  
  
As her two friends retreated, Yuna began to sob a little harder, and positioned herself so that her face could be buried in Tidus' neck. He wrapped his arms around her, a little bewildered. "Was it something I said?" he asked quietly. Yuna shook her head weakly. "No," she said, but of course it came out sounding more like, "Doh." Tidus smiled beside himself and began running his fingers through her soft hair. "Then why are you crying?" he asked gently.  
  
"I'm so tired," she said after a long silence had passed between them. "I can't sleep, and all my waking hours are spent answering questions." Tidus frowned. "Sorry," he apologized. "Oh! It's not you!" she said, sitting up and looking into his eyes. "You're the only thing that keeps me smiling sometimes," she told him.  
  
Tidus leaned forward and gently kissed the tip of her nose. "Glad to hear it," he told her, softly wiping away the tears that were still spilling from her eyes.  
  
"I think you need to sleep," he told her gently, looking into her red- rimmed eyes, his own eyes full of concern, Yuna nodded. "Okay," she answered, and she allowed Tidus to help her stand and lead her back to bed.  
  
Yuna snuggled under the covers and Tidus turned to leave, but was stopped by Yuna gently holding his hand. "Stay with me. At least until I'm asleep," she pleaded softly. Tidus' heart broke, and he kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed behind her, and cuddled closer to her, warming her amazingly cold body. He wrapped his arm around her, and buried his face in her soft hair, and inhaled slowly, enjoying the soft floral fragrance.  
  
He stayed with her until he felt and heard her breathing become soft and timed, and he knew for sure that she was asleep. He hated to leave her when she was at last peaceful, but there were some things that he really needed to talk about, and it was better if Yuna was asleep.  
  
He slowly crawled out of their bed, being very careful not to wake his sleeping beauty. Not even bothering to put his shoes back on, he made his way over to Wakka and Lulu's. "They'll know what's going on," he told himself optimistically. "I hope." 


	4. But Some Things Do

Chapter 4: But Some Things Do  
  
After what seemed like hours of the two lovers holding each other in silent relief, she opened her eyes and gazed into his vibrant blue ones.  
  
"We really should try to find somewhere to stay," she spoke at last. "Somewhere away from here; away from forgotten memories." He nodded his head in agreement, blonde hair falling into his eyes.  
  
"I'm for getting out of here," he said, a sad smile on his face.  
  
Lenne stood and smoothed down her clothes before offering Shuyin a hand. He smiled and took the hand that Lenne extended and stood. He put his arm gently around her waist, and the two walked solemnly out of the stadium.  
  
When they reached the edge of the city a few minutes later, they asked around for the nearest inn that was somewhere other than Zanarkand.  
  
The sun was just beginning to rise above the towers, and Lenne could not help but stop and take in a beauty she had for so long taken for granted. Shuyin, noticing Lenne's distant gaze, took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.  
  
"We'll be okay," he said quietly, more for his own comfort than hers.  
  
"I know," she answered.  
  
The couple continued asking various tourists if they knew of an inn, or rental, campsite; anywhere that they could stay for a while.  
  
Finally, someone was kind enough to tell them that the nearest inn outside of Zanarkand was in the Calm Lands, through Gagazet Pass. They were told that it would be wise to explain to the Ronso where they were going, and to not appear hostile, so as not to cause any trouble.  
  
Shuyin thanked the man for the advice, and after purchasing a few various items from him, they began their long trek toward the Calm Lands.  
  
For the first few hours, the two were fine. It wasn't a very cold time of year, but the snow was rather blinding at times, and visibility could be obstructed a bit.  
  
They were met by very few fiends, and Shuyin was able to fight them off without too much trouble.  
  
They continued their journey in silence; 1000 years of not talking to one another could wreak havoc on any relationship. They made idle conversation now and again, but both could feel the uncomfortable silence growing.  
  
Lenne sighed deeply and trudged on through the deep snow, and crossed her arms, feeling the biting cold. She was not dressed for mountain exploration.  
  
Finally, she just stopped in her tracks, and dropped her arms to her sides and turned swiftly around to face Shuyin who had been trailing a bit behind. She planted her feet in the snow and exclaimed, "This is insane! Why can't we find anything to talk about?!"  
  
Shuyin just stared at her.  
  
Then a smile broke his stern expression. With a sly grin he walked up to her and bowed nobly in front of her. "Hello, fair lady. My name is Shuyin, star player of the Zanarkand Abes. *wink* *wink* May I be graced with your name?"  
  
Now it was Lenne's turn to stare before breaking out with a grin of her own. She offered her hand, which Shuyin took and gently kissed.  
  
"'Tis a pleasure to meet you, Shuyinstarplayerofthezanarkandabes. That's quite a name you have there," She grinned.  
  
He smirked.  
  
"If you'd truly like to know my name," she said, taking a step backward and curtsying, "You'll have to catch me first!"  
  
And at that, she was off! She pegged Shuyin right in the face with a snowball and turned and ran playfully away from him.  
  
"Oh! So that's how it is?" Shuyin exclaimed, making a snowball of his own and running after her.  
  
Being the athlete that he was, Shuyin would have had no trouble catching up to Lenne, but he decided to have a little fun. He ran after her, and when he came within a few feet of catching her, he collapsed with a loud, "Ow! Damn it!" at sat in the snow, once again holding his "hurt" foot. Lenne fell for it immediately, and swiftly turned around and ran back to him.  
  
When she reached him, she asked breathlessly, "Are you alright?"  
  
"I am now," Shuyin answered, looking up at her with his signature cocky grin.  
  
Before Lenne had time to react, Shuyin had grabbed her arm and pulled her down into the snow.  
  
"Gotcha," Shuyin said with a wink. "I think you owe me a name, m'lady."  
  
"I've got plenty of names for you," she answered sarcastically.  
  
"Hey!" she exclaimed as Shuyin pounced, arm-fulls of snow covering her.  
  
"You jerk!" she added, sitting up and beginning to pelt Shuyin with the snow that was surrounding her. In no time they were both throwing snowball after snowball at each other, while running around trying to dodge the other's ammunition.  
  
Lenne was getting tired, and Shuyin knew this. He smiled, planning his victory in this *war*. After timing his moves just right he ran at almost full speed directly at her in a charge. "No!!" Lenne exclaimed, laughing, and knowing exactly what was about to happen, she crossed her arms over her chest in an X, to prevent any unnecessary pain, and closed her eyes tightly.  
  
Immediately, she felt the impact of his body against hers as he knocked her down into the soft powder, and landed above her, his arms supporting his weight so that he wasn't crushing her.  
  
Lenne smiled up at him, and just as Shuyin let his mental guard down enough to smile back, she rubbed a handful of snow all over his face.  
  
"Hey! That's not fair," he said, spitting out snow.  
  
"And tackling me is?" she countered coyly.  
  
"Well, you were kind of an easy target."  
  
"You jerk!" Lenne said again, about to shove more snow all over that cocky face of his, but he had anticipated that, and lifted his left arm and caught her hand.  
  
"I believe you still owe me your name," he smiled.  
  
Lenne smiled in return. "My name, oh persistent one, is Lenne, as you well know."  
  
"You have a beautiful name, Lenne."  
  
Shuyin released his light hold on Lenne's arm and lowered himself on top of her, before gently kissing her on the tip of her nose.  
  
"Am I crushing you?' he asked quietly as he began to gently kiss her neck. "No," Lenne moaned softly into his ear as she wrapped her arms around him. She loved the pressure of his body over hers. Shuyin brought his hand down to Lenne's side and began to caress her soft skin, starting to kiss her more fervently.  
  
Lenne let a sigh escape her lips, and knew that they would melt all the snow on Gagazet if they kept this up. She opened her mouth to protest, "Shuyin," she whispered softly.  
  
"Yes?" he answered, moving his lips back to her mouth in a passionate kiss that he had longed to give her for a thousand years. Lenne's mind went blank as she deepened the kiss, and she was lost in his arms.  
  
"Take me."  
  
And he complied.  
  
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When Lenne woke up, it was to the sight and sound of a bright light in front of her.  
  
It took a few moments for all the memories to come flooding back, and it registered in her mind that she was inside a cave. She looked toward the source of light and saw a fire crackling near her, and she also realized that her head was resting in Shuyin's lap.  
  
"Hello, Gorgeous," he said to her when he saw that she was awake, and began to run his fingers through her long hair. She rolled over onto her back to look up at him.  
  
"Talking to yourself again?" she replied. He just laughed.  
  
"Why aren't you wearing your shirt?" she asked him, reaching a hand up and pressing it up against his chest, causing his well-defined muscles to tense under her soft, yet very cold, hand. She smiled absent-mindedly.  
  
"I couldn't find it," Shuyin replied. Lenne just laughed.  
  
"It's night outside, so it would probably be a good idea to go back to sleep," he told her. "We can continue to the Calm Lands tomorrow."  
  
"Okay," Lenne replied, reluctantly removing her hand from his soft skin, and turned back over to try to go back to sleep. After a moment of discomfort, Lenne sat up and pushed herself back wards until she was sitting beside Shuyin, and swung her legs over his lap. She gently buried her face in his next, and cuddled up close to him, sighing deeply. "I love you," she whispered softly, barely audible, her warm breath caressing his cool skin. "I love you, too."  
  
Shuyin sighed and continued stroking Lenne's silky hair that was cascading over his bare skin. Soon, he felt her breathing slow and become rhythmic, and he knew she was asleep.  
  
"I'm never letting you out of my sight again," he whispered softly, and spent the rest of the night watching her sleep, making sure that nothing would harm her. 


	5. Sleep Talker

Disclaimer: I still own nothing but this story. sighs Sorry that the plot has been moving so slowly... I'm working on picking up the pace. Thanx for all the great reviews you wonderful people have given me! hugs More to come....  
  
Chapter Five: Sleep Talker  
  
When Yuna awoke once more it was not to the warm, welcoming Besaid sun. Instead, she woke up to the deep darkness, as clouds loomed above obscuring the light reflected by the moon. It seemed much colder than before, and she felt lonely being apart from Tidus. She could h ear muted footsteps from the dirt paths, and soft voices discussing the day's event over crackling fires and warm dinners.  
  
She yawned deeply and stretched out her limbs before sitting up and breathing in a breath of cold, rejuvenating air. She ran her hand through her hair as she stood, and stumbled around blindly for a moment until her eyes adjusted to the dim light.  
  
She slipped on a pair of sandals, and pulled aside her curtain-door to peer outside. Her sharp eyes scanned the figures reclining outside their small homes, but couldn't find who she was looking for. "Okay, Tidus, where are you?"  
  
Being a small village, and seeing as how Yuna had grown up in Besaid, it didn't take her much longer to figure out where Tidus would have gone. She took a few steps in the direction of Lulu and Wakka's house, but stopped when she heard Tidus' voice say her name from inside the tent; there was something in his tone. He couldn't have known she was there, and he obviously wasn't calling her.  
  
The realization came quickly: they were talking about her, and whatever was being said was not meant to reach her ears. Part of her respected their privacy and considered turning around and going home; but the majority of her thought, "What could they possibly be talking about that they wouldn't have said to me already?"  
  
No sooner had the fateful thought entered her mind than Tidus' next words cut through her as though he had reached her core with the Brotherhood: "Wakka! It's like I don't even know who she is anymore!" he had exclaimed, countering yet another one of Wakka's attempts to sidestep the point he was obviously trying to make.  
  
Yuna held her breath; she couldn't feel; she couldn't think. The world had stopped and she was left petrified. She could only stand in helpless agony as the conversation continued on the other side of the straw and canvas.  
  
Tidus sighed, "I still love her. I'll always love her. I mean, she's all I've got..." he trailed off, and Wakka hung his head as Lulu nodded. "It's understandable," she said.  
  
"You've been gone for two years, and Yuna has really grown up in that time."  
  
"Yeah, and that's great," Tidus replied, "But I miss the old, well young, Yuna. The Yuna I know. I mean, I still love her, she's still 'Yuna' but--"  
  
"Different," Lulu finished.  
  
Tidus could only nod as small tears slowly filled the rims of his sad eyes. "I don't want to hurt her," he said, a lone, barely discernable tear streaming down his face. "She'll understand," Lulu assured him, her own heart breaking. "You just need to get to know her again,"  
  
"You've changed too, ya know?" Wakka suddenly spoke. "I know!" Tidus stated. "That's part of why this is so hard!" He stopped and buried his face in his hands. "It's so hard having one image in my mind, that I've kept for so long, and suddenly--"  
  
"Stop! Enough!" Lulu broke in. "She's still Yuna! The same Yuna you love! The same heart still beats in her chest, and her same transparent soul lies therein."  
  
Tidus sighed again. "So, am I making a big deal over nothing?" he asked sincerely. "Not exactly," Lulu replied. "She has changed, that's for sure. With the experiences she's had--"  
  
"Speaking of that," Tidus broke in. "Who are Shuyin and Lenne?" Lulu and Wakka looked at each other questioningly. "I have no idea. Why?" answered Lulu after a moment.  
  
"She doesn't sleep well," Tidus said of Yuna, "I swear she wakes up looking even more tired than when she went to sleep. And she keeps saying the names Shuyin and Lenne." "Have you asked her about all this?" Lulu asked.  
  
"No," Tidus admitted. "I'm afraid to ask her anything, 'cause it seems like all anyone ever says to her is in the form of a question." "I see," the mage seemed deep in thought for a moment, "I think the best thing would be to talk to her. You'll have to sooner or later." "I know." "Then go." "Alright. Thanks Lu, Wakka, see you guys," he stood to leave.  
  
Yuna had a sudden panic attack, "He'll see me!" she shrieked mentally, and high-tailed it away from the tent, stopping when she reached the temple courtyard.  
  
Tidus was oblivious to his beloved eavesdropper's presence, and made his way toward Yuna's tent that had become his home, as well. He looked inside when he reached the curtain door, only to find the room empty. Before he could even turn around, there were two small hands covering his eyes.  
  
"Guess who?" asked the obviously forced-low voice.  
  
He recognized it immediately.  
  
"Oh my. I have no idea!" he said, taking the arms that were attached to the blinders, spinning around, and using his leg to knock the girl off her feet, finally catching her in his arms.  
  
"AAA!!!" shrieked the assailed, in a now high voice.  
  
"Tidus, you jerk!"  
  
"Hey Rikku, what's up?"  
  
She could only glare at him in mock anger. "What was the idea of all that? Ya tryin' to give me a heart attack?" Tidus laughed, and helped Rikku to stand again.  
  
"You seen Yuna?" the two asked each other in unison, then sighed in unison.  
  
"She probably went for a walk," Rikku offered. "Probably," Tidus answered, too many wheels spinning in his head. "I wonder—." "AA!!" Rikku shrieked again, jumping nearly three feet into the air.  
  
Behind her stood a laughing Yuna, who had obviously managed to, uh, startle Rikku. "Wha' was that for?!" yelped Rikku, nearly hyperventilating.  
  
"Easy target," came Paine's reply. She had been standing in the shadows, observing. "But keep your voice down. Your voice could wake the dead."  
  
"That's not funny," Rikku pouted. Yuna and Tidus laughed, and Yuna walked over to stand by Tidus.  
  
She took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go home. We need to talk." Tidus cocked his head to the side, questioningly. "Don't you trust me?" Yuna asked, eyes filling with fake tears. It was working. "Of course I do," Tidus replied, his voice cracking. Rikku giggled to herself.  
  
Tidus sent her a look that silenced her immediately.  
  
Yuna started walking toward her home, pulling Tidus along with her. They soon were inside, and Yuna released Tidus' hand. Then came the question that every man who ever lived dreaded to hear from the mouth of a woman: "Why do you love me?"  
  
Tidus was so taken aback that his jaw literally dropped open. "You're serious?" She nodded, crossing her arms. Where do I begin? --- Personality! Don't say looks first. "Where to begin?" he paused, seemingly thinking very deeply as he took a seat on the bed.  
  
"I love your soul, your spirit, your mind. I love your kindness, your compassion, your depth, and sense of humor. I love the way you set me straight when I despair. I love your eyes, your hair, everything about you, down to your toes." Yuna couldn't' help but stand there in front of him, tears rolling down her face. She watched as Tidus' face went from thoughtful, right to that smirk he always got right before he said something dirty.  
  
"And I especially love the way you call me God." Yuna just stared at him, confused. He broke into a high-pitched, mocking cry, "Oh-God-Tidus!!" Oooo!!! You!!!!" She ran at him and tackled him onto the bed, laughing. Tidus looked up at the beautiful woman on top of him, and tucked her hair behind her ears.  
  
"Did you really have to ask?"  
  
Oh Tidus, why do I doubt you so?  
  
The large silhouette walked ominously from the ruins and onto the main path. A fiend who had made the futile attempt to bar the shadow's path had been met with a swift execution. The figure continued on its way, not stopping to give the gawking tourists another thought.  
  
"Where is the nearest airship?" he asked. "Hover, anything. I need to get somewhere quickly."  
  
The lady behind the kiosk counter was startle by the gruff voice. "About a 15 minute walk down that path," she pointed. "Thank you," he replied, and made his way down the path.  
  
About eighteen minutes later, he reached a boat, docked. "Can you get me to Besaid?" he asked the captain roughly. "I can get you as far as Luca. You can take another boat from there." "Alright. Let's go." The man paid his fare and boarded the boat.  
  
He made his way to a secluded area of the hold, and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "I hope I'm not too late." 


	6. Glimpses of the Past

Disclaimer: I still own nothing! Disclaimer 2: Minor, minor smut. Well, sort of... There is "nudity"! So, read accordingly. ;)

Hey everybody! Thank you so, so much to all of you who have left such wonderful reviews. ) You are the reason I picked this up again and started typing. ) I sincerely hope it won't be "months" before I update again. Thank you for reading my story! I hope you continue to enjoy it.

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When Lenne woke up she could feel Shuyin's arms wrapped protectively around her, and she shifted a little bit, showing she was awake.

"Good morning," he said quietly, kissing the top of her head. "God, it's bright," Lenne said, squinting. "Nice to see you, too," Shuyin replied. "You really need to go find your shirt," Lenne countered. "Can't have you walking all over Spira half-dressed. Someone'll steal you from me." Shuyin laughed lightly and leaned to give Lenne a soft kiss.

"I'm no going anywhere."

The two stood, stretched, and proceeded to walk out of the cave into the sunlight. Lenne stopped and rubbed her inner thighs with a grimace. "I swear you leave bruises," she said jokingly, mock-glaring at Shuyin.

"You know you like it." "Moving on..." Lenne said quickly. "I think that's your shirt." She walked over to the tossed item of clothing, somehow safely caught on an over-hanging rock, and reached to pull it down. As she did, she stubbed her toe on what looked like an oddly shaped rock mostly buried beneath the snow.

"Whatcha got there?" "I'm not sure," she answered. After a few moment of scraping away snow, she revealed a treasure chest. She pulled a bobby-pin from her hair and began to pick at the small lock. After another few moment, she had successfully pried open the chest to reveal a large sum of money.

"Who just leaves a chest of 5,000 gil on a mountain pass?" Lenne asked/ Shuyin shrugged. "Whoever it was is now 5,000 gil poorer. C'mon, let's get going," he answered, taking Lenne's hand and leading her away from the now-empty chest.

They were closer to the Calm Lands than they had originally thought, and a few hours later walked through the gate guarded by the Ronso. They had simply explained where they were heading, and had passed through without trouble. "That guy must have just been paranoid," Shuyin remarked to Lenne as they walked hand-in-hand into the Calm Lands.

"Oh God... why do I know this place?"

"Did you just call me God?"

"Shut-up."

Lenne released Shuyin's hand and walked over to the canyon's edge. There was a monument with and inscription on it, explaining something about the canyon's origin.

"The first battle with _Sin_?..." "Sin?" Shuyin asked, eavesdropping on Lenne's audible thoughts. "A powerful aeon." "Yeah. Okay." Shuyin had never fully understood the significance of summons, but he knew that it was an unstated fact that all aeons were powerful. So, for Lenne to actually _say_ the aeon was powerful, really meant something.

Lenne shook her head quickly to clear the daze. "Sin. What destroyed our Zanarkand 1,000 years ago." "God..." The two stood in silent reminiscence for a few more moments before making the seemingly endless trek across the plains to the inn that they had been told about.

"Where are we going to go from here?"

"Well, I'm going to need to get a job..."

The two were having a conversation in a small café that was part of the inn. "The only thing I was ever good at was Blitzball..."

"Did you just say you play blitzball?" asked an oddly dressed man, turning from his seat at the bar counter to face Shuyin.

"Yeah, pretty much," answered Shuyin.

"Wonderful!" exclaimed the man. "My name is Isaaru, and I'm the new scout for the Luca Goers, and we need a new player! What do you say?"

"How much will I be paid?" asked Shuyin. "To start, 150 gil a game, but if you prove to be, shall we say, "special", then that sum could raise significantly."

Shuyin looked to Lenne, who smiled. "It's what you love to do."

"But what about you? Do you want to live in Luca?"

"I'll be fine.

"You've got yourself a playa!" Shuyin said to the scout, standing to shake his hand. "When do you want me?"

"In three days for the first practice of the season. I'll have a contract for you then."

"Alright."

The two men nodded to each other as the scout left the café.

Shuyin was practically glowing, he was so happy, and Lenne couldn't help but be happy for him. But, 150 gil was an awfully small sum of money, and she knew that they couldn't live on that alone. However, she was not about to burst his bubble and drag him back to earth just yet. She decided to be a little more subtle. Unfortunately, not subtle enough.

"What do you mean you _need_ to get a job!" Shuyin exclaimed, far more loudly that he had meant to. A fire began to burn behind Lenne's amber orbs.

"I _want_ a job! What do you expect me to do? Sit around and do nothing while you _play_? Do I look like a sit-around-and-do-nothing kind of girl to you, Shuyin? It's not like I want to be a stripper!" She was off. The two began yelling at each other, not listening to a word that the other was saying.

"Don't you trust me?" Shuyin asked, eyes pleading. Lenne sighed. "Damn it, Shu, of course I trust you. I _want_ to help! I _need_ to _do_ something! Why can't you understand that?" Lenne's voice was back to her natural tone, once again devoid of anger, though God knows she was still burning inside.

Shuyin's heart softened as he tried with every fiber of his being to understand why she couldn't just rely on him for everything she needed. He shook his head defeated.

"Fine, Lenne. Fine..."

Lenne's face brightened immediately: she had won. She wasn't going to take this for granted. She stood from her chair and walked around to Shuyin, wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Thank you." "Hm." He crossed his arms and grunted. There was nothing more to say.

Lenne walked gaily out of the little café and went for a walk. Shuyin, meanwhile, settled for a drink and grumbled to the hypello barkeeper in the small out-door bar a short walk from the inn. They both needed a little time away from each other to cool off and warm up again. In a few hours both returned to the room they had rented at the inn.

Lenne returned refreshed and happily calm, Shuyin returned quietly, almost unnoticeably. In fact, he entered so quietly that Lenne never heard him come in. She, when he came walking into the bedroom just as Lenne was stepping gout of the bathroom, loosely wearing a towel, she was so startled that she let out a shrill scream and released her hold on the towel.

As Lenne scrambled to regain her decency and composure, Shuyin just crossed his arms and smirked. Just as Lenne had re-wrapped the towel around her frame, Shuyin strode quickly toward her and trapped her against the wall. She was still so shaken that she once again released the towel, leaving her trapped and literally naked in front of the smirking blonde. His smirk grew as he placed his hands against the wall and leaned down to kiss her trembling lips. When he pulled away, Lenne was returning his previous look.

She moved her hands slowly up his body to his chest. Wasting little time, she quickly unbuttoned his shirt and coaxed his arms down so she could slide it off him. In the same fashion she unfastened his belt, and pants, and he kicked them away behind them.

Shuyin closed the distance between them, pressing his body up against Lenne, pinning her tightly to the wall. His hands roamed her body and her breathing quickened. She couldn't take much more of this foreplay, and she knew he was ready to go. But he wasn't through teasing her yet. He knew what she wanted, and he'd give it to her: when she screamed for it. He grabbed her ass and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around him and he carried her to the bed.

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A small group of visitors to the Farplane were giving their last respects before heading home. When they reached the bottom of the flight of stairs they turned quickly around at the sounds of a large thud. The gateway to the Farplane shuddered violently, as though it were breaking, then returned to normal. The source of the thud stirred, then rose to its feet. One of the tourists made a connection. "Maester!" he exclaimed, and the group performed the practiced "prayer". The Maester smirked at the tourists and walked right by them, never saying a word.


End file.
